The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1887-06-04
rof iiis Democratic Advocate.
Lehigh County, Pa.

from Southampton by an act of the legislature,
passed March 9TH ISL 1t Is bounded on me north
west By the Blue Mountains, separating. it from
Schuykll and Carbon counties, northeast by North
ampton. southeast by Bucks, and southwest by
sor miles or 962 acres The surface of the county
Is generally level in some places rolling in Others
rugged and somewhat broken. The South Mountain
crosses the southeast portion of the county. This
mountain range is a primary formation abounding
with iron ore. Between the South and Blue NOUN
tain is the fertile Kittatinny Valley, perhaps unsur-
passed in agricultural wealth. and IS highly cult.
waited BY an industrious class OF wealthy citizens of
German descent, whose hahits OF INDUSTRY ana iru-
gality they still possess and whose language they
still retain. The valley portion OF the county Is
nearly divided between the limestone and clay for
nation. The most important productions are those
of agriculture In fertile region like this an in
dustrious population naturally look TO the tage of
the soil as their surest means OF support ana wealth
in many branches of manufacturing industry. ana
the development of the mineral resources OF the
county within the last ten or more years shows that
there are vast deposits of iron in the county,
which now supply a large number OF furnaces with
an aggregate production of upwards OF one hundred
and sixty thousand tons annually. Along tic
northern portion of the county is found vast beds OF
fine slate which have of late years been raised and
manufactured for roofing, school states and orna-
mental purposes, and you may confidently calculate
that in quarter of a century or less the manuiae-
turing interests of the county Will largely over6al
ance the agricultural Notwithstanding the latter,
by scientific improvements, may have doubled in
the same period. The editor OF the Allentown DEM
ocrat, in speaking Of the advantages possessed by
this county says: "Our county is small, a disad-
vantage in some respects, but is one of the sixty
four that go make up the State of Pennsylvania,
the keystone in the arch OF this great conederacy
As an agricultural county, there is none in the
State its superior, and especially in the rich town.
ships Of the Saueon, the two Macungles, the TWO
full return to the honest Woodworking farmer, of
which their splendid houses, barns, outhouses,
fences, and the magnificent conditions of their
farms is the hes: proof The land in these townships
is yellow clay, limestone soil, mixed in part
with sand. II is 1nterspersed with hill ana dale,
aud Dc M ha
waited.
Having gone thus far, we will say something
about the mineral wealth of the county. 1t has in
exhaustible beds of iron ore copper, zinc manga
nese, copperas, &c. Iron ore is found in various
portions of the county in veins varying in thickness
from four to forty feet and the surface as 70
be mined with the greatest ease It is of different
kinds. such as rock, pipe, she'll kidney and black
and red sheer, which yield from sixty TO ninety per
cent. In Saucon they have rich and valuable beds
of zine. CopperaS is plenty, but is not mined. II
also has fire clay porcelain clay and hydraulic
cement of the best quality and in inexhaustbe
quantities There are many other natural advan-
tages of this county which might be spoken of here
with interest but this letter will not permit.
1t may not, however, be out of place to give few
facts CLEANED from some of the old men of the
county, with whom l often held long CONVEX
sations. 1t was told me that during the pc
Rod of the revolutionary war that tallow became
very scarce by heavy drafts oil the tallow-produc-
ing supply of the country that traveller stopped at
hotel in the county, and from the strange appear
ance of the candles, inquired of what they were
made and was told by the lady of the house that
she made them from bush growing along the
fences of the farm, by the name of candle-bush.
The candles were of a greenish color. They were
made by cutting the bushes into small ? Ieces and
boiling them in a large kettle and sklEiming the
grease off with a lade, and thus continued until a
sufficient quantity obtained. 1t is said the can
dies burned with very clear light.
We will close this part of our letter with an ac-
count of the following singular occurrence, which
was told me, took place also during the revolution
AIRY in Salisbury township, and which Is yet
believed by many OF the citizens of that part of the
county. l give it to you as il was given TO me:
had of
and engaged in many fights. sickened, died and was
buried i'll the graveyard attached to the Salisbury
Church on December afternoon. This church was
a small log building, with a pulpit of the tulip
shape with logs having boards laid thereon for seats
Within half mile of this church there was tay-
ern, where the neighboring farmers gathered on
Sunday afternoon TO procure some of their fayorte
apple jack West India rum, and to talk over their
neghbors' land sometimes their OWN business.
Sunday was The day which best advanced the in
terest of the hotel-keeper The young lads and
lasses also met there from the neghborhood, the
former to see the girls and pitch quoits to practice
the hop step and jump, TO try their strength Ut lift
ing and other rustic diversions. generally closing
the day with several brawls and steuffs under the
promptings OF the favorite beverage. On the Sun
day after the funeral spoken of his death became
the topic of conversation, his character while living
discussed, and his feats recounted Among the
company was one man who, on a late occasion, had
received from the deceased complete drubbing
the marks of which he yet bore. This man, with
some others remained with the host until the moon
had risen in cloHdless sky, when, after partakng
Of few glasses of their fporite beverage, departed
for their homes The road along which they had to
pass led by the church yard where the deceased was
buried, and when near the same the one who had
the alteration with him, eaping the fenceund
onto the grave with his sleeves rolled up and with
horrd oaths and imprecations, demanded that he
should come forth from his grave to fight His com
panion, whose sight was somewhat dimmed by the
landlords rum, imagined that he saw the evil one
rising up to take part in the conflict of his COM
panon. Upon this, he decamped as fast as his legs
could carry him. Next morning having become
sober he returned to the spot where he had left his
companion with several passers, who had been at
tracted by his calls. A search was commenced at
the grave, where severe scuffie seemed to have
taken place. Following the tracks over the fence
towaFds clump of trees near by, they found under
one of them marks Of blood and portions of clothing
aud what appeared TO be prints Of hoofs On leok,
ing up on one of the sapplngs, they saw prints OF
blood on them. Some of the bark seemed torn off
as in desperation, with here and there pieces of flesh
and parts of clothing up to near the topmosl
branches of the trees, and it was thought by one OF
them that he could smell birthstone on some of the
pieces of clothing which they had found. Nothing
further it was said was ever heard of this man
His mysterious disappearance for many years
formed the theme of conversation ut many farm
er's house. Hundreds of persons it is said, came
from far and to the spot and all left beliey
ing the devil had come and taken the man TO his
deserved home Notwithstanding his determined re-
sisInce The story is not yet forgotten In Salisbury
and many other neighborhoods in Lehigh county
and full credit is given to it in all its details.
The old church yard was for many years deserted
and the walls and building allowed to decay, as e
q neat brick church has been erected on the spot
where the neighbors worship without fear of any
unhallowed person.
At the house of Il very fine and agreeable gentle
man of fine form and genial manners, with whom
had the pleasure Of spending an evening saw the
portrait of the Rev DIR. Diedrich Williear, of the
Presbyterian Church. He was born at Walla, Ger
many, near Bremen, and came to this country after
the great battle of Waterloo, in which he fought
under Lord Wellington against BOnaparte. He
served private, and out of 10 men in his COM
pany only u survived and of his battalion less than
80 were left. He afterWaEd came 10 this country
studied theology with the Rev DR., Becker of Balti-
more, and afterward moved to Fayette, Seneca
county, N. Y, On q visit to friends in this county
he was invited by the Synod of his church, then in
session at Harrisburg, to give an account OF the
great battle of Waterloo. II fought on June 10,
II and u.s. 1915. He entered the Hanoverian army in
1914, served five years and after his discharge, as
before stated, he emigrated to this country, and
died May 18th, 1868 aged So years.
While at the Doctors had the pleasure of accom-
panying him to the fine brick church near by. built
by the Lutheran and German Reformed Churches
This church was first built of logs at Unonvile, in
1855. The chaneel was laid with fagstones, the
seats had backs aud were not painted; the gallery
floor on level, and persons seated on the back
seats could not the congregation below. As the
congregation became more wealthy they concluded
to build larger and better one; so accordingly they
built stone church in 1897. The pulpit was tulip
served in the basement of the No. Brick Church.
The Stone Church was 10 feet by so. No. Brick
GhgEes i enc q !6e finest IN the STATE od y s e
and cost $1,000 The bell weishs oyer 1QOO pounds
and can be heard on still morning over twenty
miles,
In taking stroll through the graveyard, which Is
very large and well regulated, saw the tombstone
of Paulus Balliest. He was q Huguenot banished
from Alsace France, on account of his religious
opinions. He was born In l7l7 and was the first OF
the Balliest family who came to White Hail. this
county, in l13S He took an active part in shaping
the destines of this great nation prior to the revolu
tionary struggle, and after long and useful life
died March 18th. III Mine host the Doctor, is the
great great great grandson of this ustrious sire
The name of Paulus was handed down through
these generations and is still borne by of the
few remaining ones. He also showed me set of
wooden plates which were broughtover by Paulus
the First They were of two patterns-the Sunday
and weekday ones. In size and form they nearly
resemble our modern breakfast plates. They were
boiled in oil. and were very tough. You could
throw them about without fear of breaking them.
There was also an inkstand Of the same date
stamped out, made of earthenwaTe glazed. also
similar to our modern Office inkstands, with two
holes for ink and rack for pens. He also has o
chest. about Xxi feet, made of oak timber, with an
old-fashioned till in one end. brought over from
Alsace. France, by Paulus the First. On the lid Is
marked "Paulus Balliest 173S." The chest is the
to this country but the most remarkable feature of
the whole collection is document written on
parchment. surrounded by most beautifully emf
broidered handwOrk Ii was written in Rawneiler,
Germany, and dated March 22d. IDS The town In
which it was written has since become extinct
Time and space will not permit me to tell of the
many rare and beautiful articles the Doctor has in
his art gallery. They have been collected at great
expense of time and money. and on the whole is
worthy of visit TO them; and am fully salts
fed il you do, you will be highly gratifed with
this was one Of the most pleasant and agreeable
nv In all m life